Tombstone Tuesday

This is my paternal step-grandfather's tombstone. He was born Lawrence Lynn Gardner on 16 July 1917 in Corning, Stuben County, New York. He died on 12 Jan 2001 of heart failure. His parents were Leo Frank Gardner (1898 - 1945) and Mary Amy Schoonover (1898 - 1969). He was the second husband of my grandmother Jane Elizabeth McElroy. She was born on 8 Oct 1917 and is still living in Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Egbert Clark McElroy (1888 - 1950) and Hertha Katherine Mosch (1888 - 1988).

A Four Generations Photo

I love this photo. It was taken in 1931. The ladies in this photo are from l to r: my Great Aunt Kathryn Gamble Mosch, My Great Grandmother Ellen Snyder Gamble, and my Great-Great Grandmother Laura Campbell Snyder. The baby is Barbara Mosch. This is a rare photo of my dad's Gamble side of the family. Kathryn was my grandfather's sister. My grandfather was killed in WWII in the Battle of the Bulge.

Genealogy Blogs

I have been reading some really good genealogy blogs and getting great ideas about how to turn my blog into a genealogy blog. I can't wait to get started! I'm at work right now, so I don't have my information with me. I want to go through my pictures and find some good ones to post. I'm going to visit my maternal grandparents next week and I'm going to see if my grandmother has some pictures I can copy. I'll be going to the cemetery where my great grandparents are buried to get some pictures of their tombstone. I have so much I want to find out, I don't really know where to begin.

Well, better run for now. Don't want the boss to get onto me for blogging during work!

Genealogy

I've really had my head buried in my genealogy lately. On my birthday I bought Family Tree Maker 2009 software. Ever since Haydyn and Austin were born, I've been working really hard on tracing their family histories. I've joined 3 family history websites. Dillingham World is great! Dave Dillingham Wiltshire is the administrator and he is really great. He sent me a 50 page email with information on Gary's stepdad's family back to 1680! I love the pictures on that site, too. I've only seen one picture of a direct ancestor of Gary's on the Dillingham side. I've traced his Sallings side into the 1800's. They were farmers in Texas.

Another of the sites I joined is the Abrams Family website. The people there are very friendly. One of the ladies is a cousin of my Papaw. She sent me a picture of my great great grandfather Solomon Turpin Abrams and his second wife Louisa Edmonds Gadd. It was taken sometime around 1920. Turp, as he was called, passed away in 1923. He lived in Horse Lick, Jackson County, Kentucky so I also joined the Jackson County Family website. There are so many pictures on that site that I've only been able to go through about a fourth of them. There are some really precious old, old pictures along with new ones of the people of Jackson County. Anita Maggard is the administrator of that site and she is really sweet. She has posted hundreds of the pictures that are on the site. I need to get in touch with my great aunt in Ohio to see if she has any old photos of the family. I've never seen any at Granny and Papaw's, but I'm going to visit them this month with Mom. I'll ask Granny if I can see what she has. I haven't seen them since 2005. It will be a bittersweet visit. Papaw is 87 and very sick. He's got Alzheimers and a host of other physical illnesses. I don't even know if he'll remember me, but I'll try to always remember him. That's another reason doing genealogy is important to me. It helps me preserve the memory of my ancestors. I want my grandchildren to know from where they came.

Our third workout in one week

We did it! We finally did 3 workouts this week! I'm so proud of us for sticking to our guns and getting our third workout in. We are starting to see a little bit of progress, too. My husband's stomach is getting smaller and he's getting definition in his arms and legs. He told me this morning when I was getting dressed for work that my butt is starting to look rounder. :-) I think we're starting to get to the point where going to the gym is becoming a habit. We made sure not to let anything get in the way of going tonight. No excuses! We're looking forward to the days when we are both below 150 pounds. I weighed 177 when we met almost 13 years ago and I've just been getting fatter ever since. I desperately needed to do something to get out of the rut I was in. It's wonderful to finally be doing something about my weight and health instead of just talking about it and feeling sorry for myself. It's my own fault I'm this way. I know better. I saw my mother struggle with her weight all my life.

I did really well with my eating today. One of the staff members brought donuts to work this morning. I usually can't resist a blueberry cake donut. They are so yummy. I didn't even eat half a donut! I felt so good about myself for not giving in to the temptation. Those cake donuts are hard to resist. I've loved them ever since my Grandma made them for me when she was visiting us for my high school graduation. That was 25 years ago! Wow! I won't even attempt to figure out how many of them I've had since that time.

I better get some rest now. I'm wiped out!

I Lost Almost 4 Pounds!

Great news! I lost 3.7 pounds this past week! I stepped on the scale and it read 210.3 down from 214 last Wednesday. I was so excited. It's about time I had a good weight loss. We are starting to follow the old Weight Watchers Selection Plan for our diet. It has been the plan that has helped me the most when I've been seriously trying to lose weight. I like it because it's real food; not those pre-packaged meals you get on other programs. Those plans are expensive, and money isn't exactly something we have a lot of right now. I think the combination of going to the gym and eating better is the key.

Gary and I stepped up our exercising this week. He found a workout plan in a body building magazine that we are following. I'm glad to have a routine to follow. It really helps me make sure I work all parts of my body. I haven't had much pain from the strenuous exercises, but last night was the first time we did the new routine. I usually don't feel anything until the 2nd day after a workout. I may be hurting in the morning.

I got a fitness magazine, too. There is a great quote in it from Plato. "Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." That is so true. It's exactly what I've been doing to myself. I've been sitting around for the last 10 years getting lazy and fat! I want to preserve my life. I can't chase my grandbabies around the house while I'm in this condition. I think I'm on the right path to a healthier me.

My granddaughter is so cute. She's starting to move around a lot more. My daughter will prop her up on her pillow and she kicks and moves her arms like she's running or swimming. She's also making more sounds. She loves to sit in her bouncy chair and kick and wiggle. She even grins sometimes when we play with her. I can't wait until she starts laughing. It's so precious to hear a baby laugh. It's music to the soul. It always makes my mood better when I hold my granddaughter. She is such a joy. I'm going to enjoy these moments while they last. I know all too well they grow up quickly.

New Diet

Tuesday's wellness check was a mess! My good cholesterol is too low (36), my bad cholesterol is too high (121) and my triglycerides are too high (137)! It was pretty depressing. When I came home and told my husband about it, he started us both on a diet. Lots of vegetables, less red meat, and cut back on the sodas. I was told that more vegetables would help my good cholesterol go up. The new diet and working out three days a week should get me going in the right direction.

We went to the gym on Tuesday and worked on the elliptical and upper body. I went for 3 minutes on the elliptical before I had to rest. I'm trying to add at least 30 seconds each time. I want to get up to 5 minutes in the next couple of weeks. I'm up to 28 crunches. I can't do them all at once, but I don't have to stop for very long in between.

My granddaughter is so cute! She is getting so big already! She gets the hiccups a lot. I can't believe she's almost 2 months old already! It won't be long and she'll be running all over the house getting into things. I want to be ready when that time comes. I'm sure I'll be getting more energy and stamina soon. I can't wait to be a "smokin' hot grandma". My husband is anxious to see some results, too. He's starting to get some definition in his abs already. We'll both be "smokin hot" in no time.

Tomorrow's Wellness Check

Tomorrow at work we are having a wellness check. We are all getting weighed, our height measured, and our cholesterol levels checked. It's an insurance thing. My company gets a better rate if we all go through this little "check up". The cholesterol check isn't really that accurate, but it gives us a base line. Last year it showed my good cholesterol was a little low, but my overall was fine. I'll see if it improved. I hope I've lost some more weight.

I did okay with my eating today. I had oatmeal for breakfast, a Subway sandwich for lunch (Ham on Honey Oat bread, yum!) and 2 all beef hot dogs for dinner. In a moment of weakness, I had a 3 Musketeers bar and 4 Thin Mints. I was feeling bad and I use food for comfort. It's a terrible habit and that's part of how I got the way I am. I need to get on a plan and stick to it. I did Weight Watchers years ago when they were using dietary exchanges. That plan worked well for me. I lost 25 pounds on that one about 14 years ago. I don't know why I didn't stay on it. I think I got really lazy. No, I know I got really lazy. I hate to cook. I don't know if it's because I don't feel I have the time or if it's because I had to cook when I was a teenager because Mom worked outside the home. Either way, I hate to cook. My husband is a really great cook but low fat is not his style. That's another reason I'm fat. I love to eat his cooking! ARGH!!!!! This is frustrating! I've got to stop being lazy and start cooking healthier, lower fat meals. I'll never get below 200 if I don't.

My First Weight Loss Goal

Where has the time gone? I can't believe I'm 43 and both of my kids are giving me grandchildren within 3 months of each other. My daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on my anniversary in December. My son and his wife are having a baby boy in March. If you'd asked me a couple of years ago which one of my kids would be the first to have children, I would have told you my son. He had a steady girlfriend and they were planning to get married. My daughter was planning to go to college to study English and have a career as an English professor at a university.

All of that changed when my daughter found out that she was pregnant at the age of 18 and at the time was really mad at the baby's father. I sure didn't know what I was going to do. She was so scared. So was I. I never expected to become a grandmother at 43, but I wouldn't trade my granddaughter for anything. She's been an absolute joy! I can't imagine my life without her.

I've come to a realization. I'm getting lazy, fat, and old and I have to do something about it. A couple of weeks ago my husband and I have started going to the gym and working out. I've lost 3 pounds since we started! I weighed in at 215. I can't wait until I get below 200. It's been years since I've weighed less than 200. I don't like the way I look and feel. I'm posting a picture of me from this summer. I really don't like to have my picture taken. This is my incentive to keep on working out. I can't continue to be this way. It's not good for my health. I want to be able to keep up with my grandbabies when they are able to run around. I have to be ready to take them to the park and Six Flags and other places. I won't be able to do that like I am now. I want to be below 200 in 2 months. That's my first major hurdle. Wish me luck.